Safety & Security

We take your safety very seriously, and we have instituted a number of policies and procedures that are intended to enhance campus and individual security.

The college continually attempts to educate students regarding crime prevention and the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. Orientation workshops, residence hall programs, residence hall bulletin board displays, Resident Assistant training sessions, Greek new-member programs and the student conduct system are a few of the ways we approach this ongoing educational effort.

All student-oriented policies can be found in the Student Handbook. All first-year students receive the Alma College Student Manual on Policies and Procedures for Responding to Sexual Assault, Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment. If you have lost your copy of the Handbook or the Manual or wish to procure another one, please contact the Student Life Office.

Crime Statistics

Every fall each college and university is required to publish its crime statistics for the previous year to the campus community and to any applicant who requests this information.

This requirement is part of the Student Right To Know and Campus Security Act of 1990, known as the Clery Act. The law requires institutions to report statistics on the following crimes: murder, sex offenses, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. In addition, the institution must report the number of arrests college judicial actions on campus for liquor law violations, drug abuse violations, and weapons possessions. The statistics show comparison numbers for calendar year 2008.

The definition of crimes is taken from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook. A crime or violation of college policy becomes a statistic when the VP for Student Life, Campus Security or the Alma Police Department determines that a crime or policy violation has occurred. A recent crime classification for burglary vs. larceny resulted in the following: To be considered a burglary, an incident must include evidence of unlawful entry (trespass), regardless of force; the unlawful entry must occur within a structure; and there must be evidence that the entry was made in order to commit a felony or theft. If the intent was not to commit a felony or theft, or if intent cannot be determined, the proper classification is larceny.

Addressing Timely Warnings

In the event that a situation arises, either on or off campus, that, in the judgment of the president and executive staff, constitutes an ongoing or continuing threat, a campus-wide timely warning will be issued through telephone contact, texts and/or emails, in the residence halls, and to and through faculty and staff. To receive these timely warnings, each member of the Alma College community must have current emergency contact information. Update your emergency contact information here.

Campus Judicial/Conduct System

At Alma College, students who are victims of crimes or who bring charges against another student through the campus judicial/conduct systems for violations of college policies are informed of the results of criminal or disciplinary proceedings.

Sexual Offender Registration

The Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act (CSPA) of 2000 is a federal law that provides for the tracking of convicted sex offenders enrolled at, or employed by, institutions of higher education.